PLDN Chapter 25
Chapter 25: Fallout of Chara's Invasion Leads to the Dawn of the Crossover Wars Bonus Entry Sub-Entry Plus Ultra: "Ringing in the New Year One More Time": One week later, we continued to postpone the tests in order to keep morale up. Granted it was a victory but it just felt...empty. Try as I might to want to hold a grudge, history was repeating again. I just couldnt' help but feel pity for Evil-Chara. This was the second time Adonis had used him as a tool and screwed him over; just for his own amusement. Well. Now's not the time for muddling over things. Now was the time for celebration. And it began as such: Chameleon exited his shack with his wife, Jennifer, both dressed up a bit fancier; Cham actually wearing a tux (blue, and also of course custom-made for his tail) and Valk wearing a formal red gown. Even the lizardman could put on the dog. Boy is Jon going to be cross with me if he ever finds out I used that expression. Drew White, at the same time, was working on the fireworks for the celebration. Not all dressed up, though; he was more dressed for work. Understandably so. "Alright. Long as Ripper's crap is is under wraps, maybe we'll finally get one year without crud going on." As if on cue, he and Dragonius entered--Dragonius wearing his religious outfit, the symbol of the Sacred Flame upon it. Ripper... Not as much. With the exception of a pair of fancy gloves, the only major improvement was his clothes lack tears. "Ey, I didn't cause THAT much wereckage... 'Sides, the queen gave 'er thumb-up, right?" "Ripper, you have your junk under lock and key this year?" "Considering the chaos that happens around New Years? You really that shocked about his concern, Ripper?" "I verified it... He shall not place one dash of extra incindearies to this event." Dragonius assured, much to Chameleon's relief as well. "Sheesh. It's just a little boost." But Nikita was less coninced. But Ripper wasn't the only name for her potential pain. "If Rainbow Wing sets one claw near the New Year's orb, there will be consequences... A curious security device raised out of the floor and a spherical wire frame forcef field snapped into existance with a static snap, crackle, and pop. It looks big enough to hold all five of the mischievious wyrmlings. I gulped. "I think she's serious this year." "Not the only issue. Didn't someone get into your apartment and leave you a 'present' of rocket fuel last year?" From the edge of the square, Jennifer "Valkyrie" Riviera's voice boom out. "You need not worry... The Council has them quite controlled." That was wen David made his appearance. The familiar Fareskel entered the square as he walked the five chromatic wyrmlings into the square--five long threads of wire attached to his left wrist and the wyrmlings' necks. "....You have them on a leash. A literal leash." Marcel noted. "You don't think this is just a liiiiittle degrading?" The black one of the five (and the only one who could speak Common) protested. "I'm not going to object." Really. I wasn't. "I find this extremely satisfactory." NIkita remained dour but with semblance of being content. "It is perfect for such liiiittle pests." David mused with the condescending deadpan of Severus Snape. And yet not lacking in a dark sense of humor. Marcel laughed a bit. "Well played." That was when Vi spoke up. "The software is compiling as we speak. And it's a doozy." "Have you been recycling code from that infernal wearable computer of yours?" Nikita put Vi on the spot, the hologram flickering almost indictive of of her disdain. "Maaaybe." "You're enjoying this a bit much, necro." The Black Wyrmling smoldered toward Marcel. "Ladies, we put a lot of time and effort into this year's shimmer ball. Let's not get into it now." I was determined to keep the peace. While that was going on, Cid Padesh opened up Tina's shop. Discounts on alchemy...AND...now selling sunglasses! "Maybe a little." Marcel looked smug. "I'm NOT a "lady"! The Black Wyrmling protested, incensed I heaped him in with Asmirus, Nikita, and Violet. "Major, are you and Asriel en route?" I rolled my eyes. Bunnie's communication via mojikara binding art, Tentei Kura (Also known as Heavenly Void Net or Network) came through; like the samurai martial science equivalent of Skype or Discord. ""We are. Also, Mitzi's birthday cake, ice cream, and such are prepared for midnight. She's also on her way." Bunnie responded. A loud roar was suddenly heard from above... Soon, a large white dragon came down to the square for a landing, letting off his half-white dragon daughter so both could enjoy the show! I groaned. Halisaranith was here. And he brought Crystalliana. The world's lewdest white dragon with the most overactive libido on the planet was here. As was Crystalliana, said half-daughter who's shameless instances of naughtiness and innuendo only poured fuel on Vi's fire of a dirty mind. "Big brother, how are you?! How's everybody?! How's the town?!" Crystal said as she tacklehugged Marcel. "And how are the ladies?" Hails was practically drooling. Fair warning...females were females to him; didn't matter the species. This is where I make the most sarcastic of "giggidy-giggidy-giggidy's". The Goddesses give me strength...well...not so much Madam Fate. Marcel held his arms out for Crystalliana. "There's a few of them out and about. Mind yourself though." Alistair sat outside his home, a large frothing mug of ale in his hands! "Ahahaha... oh what a lovely night!" Our favorite Warrior Holy Man was at his most jovial. While Marcel and Crystallana embraced and Alistair DeRosan enjoyed his liquid courage I checked on Nikita. "Anyway. Dr. Lynx. The Shimmer Ball? "Completed. Ready for upload. Violet, is your system ready to receive?" "Ready for the candygram." Back and forth conversations went, becoming a veritable behive around us. "You have a very wonderful setup, by the way. My daughter and I think it's just..." Hails blew a kiss to Crystal. "Will definitely send the girls running for a look. Oh, and I owe you 20 CP for later, Chameleon." "... For?" The merc crossed his arms. Isabelle slithered into the square, at that moment, eyes shielded by the annual sunglasses. "Well, it was a long flight, so we took some of your water to cool off... Might have left a couple of water bottles around." Chameleon cracked his knuckles, but Valk put her hand on Cham's shoulder to prevent the white from losing a tooth. "...Something tells me it was more than just water." Marcel lowered an eyebrow. There were times when his skepticism was right on the money. But I'm getting ahead of myself... The mage-in training only known as Eury was wandering through at that moment. Eury seemed to be in good spirits as she looked to be clad in a very relaxed looking dress; although having a bit of style for the Viera. The mage in training held a wine glass in hand as she looked over the gathering. "No, it was water! Look!" Crystal insisted. Marcel spotted Eury and gave her a wave as well. Crystal pulled out a couple empty bottles of imported water... And a bottle of vodka, but not drained yet. Cham quickly snatched it. "... If I smell liquor on your breath, there's going to--" Isabelle coiled up, the lamia getting comfy. "Busy night, I see. Guess it is kind of the time of year innit?" Before I could ask, Nikita shut me down. "All precautions for light sensative, vampires and Asmirus included, have been made. You have nothing to worry about." Cham's two familiars stepped out of the shack, the latter definitely looking more giddy over a party going on. "Thank you, Dr. Lynx. "Xelphas! My darling, come join me in this merry celebration of a new *hic* year!" Oh great. Alistair was already tipsy. "Sally is D.J.-ing?" I inquired. "Right here, boss!" And there she was at the turntables. "Al, how much have you had to drink?" Verlaine entered, yawning, adjusting her wide-brimmed hat. "And you worry over dragons being a bit... tipsy." Hails prodded. "Two tankards full. Trust me, that is nothing!" Alistair shrugged it off. "Speaking of notable Al's...?" "Mr. Dente will not be joining us this evening. Or in the foreseeable future. He decided to...be alone in his thoughts......which just happen to be taking up residence in an unmarked storage locker at a depot outside of town." Violet mused with the most devilish of grins. "All this for a point in history that repeats itself... I suppose survival is a point of celebration, especially in these times." Asmirus hissed. "...he may or may not be tied up, blindfolded, and or gagged..." Violet added for good measure. " ...I'm sorry I asked." Sorry is the word. "Dear? What...what are you doing?" Xelphas continued to check on Alistair's well-being. "You usually don't drink. Are you feeling well?" "What? I've always been a partaker of strong ale at celebrations! Tis the Eatosian way!" "Is it? I've never heard you drinking much." Isabelle noted. "As long as all can be merry, none should complain, Isabelle. He replied. "Not complaining. Just kinda surprised is all." It occurs to me I've never focused this much on the people in town before. Maybe I was finally staring to catch up to all the social activity around here after two more years. "Did you leave air holes in it this time, Vi?" Chameleon said, almost as if it were dictated, not read. "If not... Good work." That on the other hand was definitely him. "Of course I did......at 50 silver pieces for one hole. The price goes up by a factor of ten for each hole he wanted me to add." "...How are you not in prison, Vi?" Drew shok his head. "If I had to guess, personally, I am betting that Violet has enough money to avoid jail time... Am I correct?" Valkyrie mused. "Now what kind of a princess would I be if I revealed ALL my secrets...? "I have replenished your supply of mino washi, Grand Master Rabbotou. I believe it is the traditional delicate-but-durable paper used to make your traditional paper lanterns?" NIkita made some last momentary double-checks on her list. "Indeed. Thank you, Dr. Lynx." Bunnie bowed formally. "And speaking of things to check on, I'll sure to bring Brooke-domou her customary rice wine sake. Between Alistair's conversation and Bunnie's I just shook my head. "I still don't see the appeal of alcohol." "Get in a few more battles, Sparks, and you'll get it." Chameleon retorted. "At least until the hangovers kick in? No thanks." And at the same time our favorite viera sniper, Lulu, was joining the conversations. But that was when goat son made his arrival. It seemed he could still be quite dapper on these special occasions. "Mitzi is on her way." He annouced as he waved to me. "Yay! Goat Child come celebrate too! Going to be big big party with all come!" Tithius already good mood got even better. "... Joy." Asmirus...not so much. "Howdy, Mr. Titihus. Howdy, Asmirus." Off in the distance, music suddenly arose...music that was a bit... jazzy. "Hmm...? That's not coming from my rig. Who's steppin' to my beats, yo?" Sally took a moment to stop her sound test. "Got a decent bitta funk, if anything." Ripper was already toe-tapping. A live band of gargoyles and most of the local races really seemedto be approaching. Wearing masks. And halloween cos...costumes? What the...? "Gooood evening, all!" The head gargoyle, Omorose spoke up. Okay then. This a tradition I haven't heard about?" "Hmm? Oh I thought you were here when this party of ours started. Eury nodded slowly, and took Verlaine's hand, "And I know about that," She said softly before nodding, "I really don't know It's also I'm a bit narrow with my talents after all." She seemed to be rather calm about this even though the thought of Violet and her predelicitons would be ... worrisome. Last thing she wanted to worry about was getting jumped by the flattest of tops I rubbed my temples. *sigh* "You have nothing to worry about. Violet will behave herself; under orders of her majesty, Queen Brooke. Right, Violet? >:| "Eheheheheh..." "... That's possible?" Chameleon retored. "You're not doubting Brooke can enforce it?" I countered. "Or should I bring up the Halloween incident--" I clamped my hand over Vi's mouth and scolded. "I'm doubting Vi can behave herself under any circumstance." Chameleon countered right back. Well before this log gets too long, let's jumpskip to the hour at hand..or at least 15 minutes til. "Okay, the magnetic tether is in place and powering up." The wire-frame placeholder marker appeared at the top of the energy post. "Prepare to send, Dr. Lynx." "Roger...we're sending." The data visibily began to fill in the pseudo-cyberspace within the wire-frame ball* "Matter-wave conversion from cybertomic raw data to physical matter will begin at 100%. Ten minutes to executable status. from this point." Soon the Shimmer Ball physically transformed from energy into solid matter and HOOOOO BOY! That's a ton of lights, neon tubes, strobes, displays, holo-projectors, and L.E.D.'s! There's a few brief screams from some of the gargoyles before they put on an extra layer of sunglasses. THey've been subterranean for a long time after all. "Oh WOW! It's even prettier and more colorful than last year!" Goat son was sold. Alistair donned a shade monicle. "We're going to have to start getting more innovations out of Technopolis or the Shimmer Balls are going to end up overdrawing from the A.R.C. reactor." I was kidding. "Four minutes, Dr. Lynx. Four minutes, Violet. We a go?" "Ready!" "Ready." And who should arrive but the girl of the hour--our own Mitzi Mozzarella. AND WOW, she has really dolled up! She looked absolutely INCREDIBLE for a girl-next-door! The sparkling green dress and strappy stilleto-heel sandals! That hair done up so classy! The lipstick, foundation and eyeshadow. This is what they mean by drop-dead gorgeous bombshell. And speaking of dropping... "OKAY GUYS! HERE WE GO!" "Good evening, Mitzi." Lord Jaimas of Raxis had made his appearance. "Wow, right on time! You look good, Mitzi!" Valkyrie approved. "That's a great outfit, Mitz!" Lulu was impressed. And finally Ivy fluttered down and landed with Eury. "Hope I'm not too late." "My watch says just in time" Drew pointed. * 10 * * 9 * * 8 * * 7 * * 6 * * 5 * * 4 * * 3 * * 2 * * 1 * "All right, you all know the requirements, laser glasses on!" '-= H A P P Y N E W Y E A R M I R A N D A C I T Y =-' '- - = = [ 2 0 1 9 ] = = - -' The ball hit the bottom and all the lights and display went supernova as every light in the UCIAT HQ building went crazy! Suddenly, a ton of explosions occurred from inside the ball's area, rocking the building quite a bit. And the source of this? Several "water bottle rockets"... "That's not supposed to happen." Asriel blinked. "Oh no no no no!" I whined. Nikita's force field kicked in around the New Year's shimmer ball at that moment, shielding it. "What... Happened?" Chameleon's brow twitched before slow turning to Ripper. "Don't look at me!" Ripper defended. "Gah!" Drew stumbled back. "Who the hell's sabotaging it this time!?" I knew immediately Ripper, Tithius, and Rainbow Wing were in the clear...that left only one supspect...better make that two... As I sloooooooow turned to Hails and Crystal... "I seem to remember something about "water" bottles earlier. Care to refresh my memory?" "... What are you looking at us for? Water doesn't explode!" Asriel, on the other hand , was too distracted wih the other celebration; thus he was too busy hugging MItzi. "Happy birthday, Miss Mitzi! And Happy New Year!" " Looks like Nikita's shield is holding at least." Valkyrie looked up at the barrier. "Under the right circumstances it can explode... But what did you put up there?" Drew frowned, a little butt-hurt from being upstaged. Nevertheless he got to work on lighting the REAL fireworks. "I would be more perterbed had it not. Now. Who would like to claim responsibility for this unauthorized use of pyrotechnics?" I think Nikita's hologram actually swelled in size to emhasize the irateness. "Ain't me, Nikita. You know me better'n that. I got all my permits and stuff. "I read the bottles myself. All those names. "Terra Stream". "Crystal Falls". "Liquid N.". And "Pool Of Reflection"." "..." Chameleon deadpanned. "...Liquid...N?" I questioned. "You didn't..." Chameleon looked less amused. "Care to explain any of those names? I'm sure we'll all have a good laugh." Violet was loving this. "...Considering one of them sounds like Liquid Nitrogen..." Drew ponderd. "Except liquid nitrogen isn't usually explosive. Just extremely cold." I corrected. "Nah, we didn't drink those marked "Liquid N." as they smelled a little funny, so we left those behind." "Still.... *sigh* I'll have the E.R.R.O.R. team survey the building for damages." "... No... But "Pool Of Reflection" was a set of potions that have mirror effects, reversing elements of other potions... So the sudden heat burst..." Chameleon explained. Silence. Drew facepalmed. "You'll be happy to know we won't be forwarding you the bill this year, Chameleon. Or Ripper. >_> "... And you drink that stuff?" Crystal asked. "At least they didn't launch the ball into the Rabite Forest, like someone who shall remain nameless." Verlaine chuckled. "... Thanks, Sparks." Chameleon begrudgingly said. "....and I'm sure the Dragon Council will be happy the will not be receiving an invoice, either." "Good. For once we don't have to do community work." The Black Wyrmling muttered. "So. Once the damages ARE assessed...who is going to reemburse?" I folded my arms and folded my ears back, disapprovingly. "... Well, guess we're responsible for a bit of littering, so I guess I can give a small bit of my hoard to cover." Hails said with a cheesey grin and shrug. Leave it to Goat Son to diffuse the situation with the next thing he said. "Ummm...let's put all the grumpy grown-up stuff on hold! MItzi still has cake and ice cream!" "... At least it was rather exciting..." Asmirus even seemed amused. "The boy speaks truth." It was a beautiful lime cake withe very green cake and even greener frosting with some white highlights and edible decor. With lime sherbet. "Mitzi's favorite color and flavor." "Maybe next time let's at least not litter any more?" Marc rolled his eyes at Hails. It was then I noticed Bunnie dolled up pretty well, too. Ornate oriental sparkling pink gown with matching strappy sparkling pink high heel sandals. She's also wearing her pink metal kenseiken hairpieces in her bangs. "Hey, get in on this sparkling cider blend. Non-alcoholic. :D It's called Glőgg. Apple, white grape and lemon flavoried with cinnamon and ginger." Well with this celebration a success...with moderate surprises, I guess this New Year has kicked off with a bang. Literally. Eat, drink and be merry. For tomorrow it would be business as usual. Or unusual And that meant Goat Son was going back to the lab again. But not after a revisit to Computer Valhalla... Sub-Entry 241: "Aftermath. A Visit to the Soul Society to Update Chara on Her Counterpart": Bunnie and I decided to nip this in the bud and bring Asriel back here. He wanted to inform his sister what happened and assure that he was okay. I wanted to make sure Chara understood where she stood, parallel to her evil counterpart; which meant I had to discuss things with her after Asriel had a nice reunion and bonding experience. Things that he couldn't be present for that would spill the beans and make our promise null and void. "...never gets any less of a trippy experience. Do I really need to wear the black kimono and rope sandals?" "The sandals were Violet's contribution. By now that should be obvious. As for the Soul Reaper disguise, we can't have you being mistaken for "ryuga". One incident like that was enough." "Well there's a word I'm going to have to look up, sensei." "Do so on your on time. As it stands, we're all on the clock. So to speak." "Yes, sensei." We bee-lined straight to Chara's place and instead found a note. Bunnie and I looked at each other. "What does it say?" Asriel asked. A while later we arrived at the training grounds of the academy where Soul Reaper trainees were at the target range, honing their use of kidou; the art of using the hadou and bakudou that Bunnie had blended seamlessly with her own mojikara jutsus to expand her family's martial science arsenal several fold. Honestly...I wasn't sure how to feel about Chara using abilities like Red Flame Cannon and Blue Fire Crashdown. Or in Bunnie's native language, "Shakahou" and "Soukatsui", respectively. "Chara dreamed of being able to use magic, herself one day." Asriel reflected on the past. "A lot of what I remember about days old is...faded. But this is one of things I remember clearly." "I suppose kidou is magic in a way. The essential tools of being a Soul Reaper. You can't just rely on a zanpakutou all the time." Bunnie acknowledged. "One day you'll both have to tell me the story of how you got to be Soul Reapers." "Substitute Soul Reapers." I corrected. "We're...definitely special cases." "Special cases that carry the equivalent ranks of Captain." Bunnie pointed out. We walked past the trainees all taking target practice. "So which one is--" "That's her." Asriel zeroed in on Chara Dreemurr quickly. And sure enough to confirm his words, I heard Chara speak that incantation: "Ye lord! Mask of flesh and bone, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man! Truth and temperance, upon this sinless wall of dreams unleash but slightly the wrath of your claws! 破道の33: 蒼火墜! no sanjuu-san: Soukatsui (Destructive Art 33: Blue Fire, Crash Down)" While a chill went down my spine as I watched the blue and white fire blast rocket forth from Chara's hand and strike the target and while Bunnie barely batted an eyebrow; Asriel was in a state of complete and total surprise...before completely geeking out like he was ten again. "Oh WOW, Chara! That was amazing!" "Heh. Doesn't take much to impress you, does it?" Chara's sly smirk was a little sardonic. She was enjoying this. "You finally have magic of your own!" "I guess that means I finally caught up to you, little brother." "Ah, keep dreaming. You know your brother's always going to be around to keep you out of trouble." "Don't we have a big head." "Aww come on...it's not like that." "Get over here and hug me you big fluffy goof." An embrace. "And make it quick before the instructor catches me screwing around." "I'd hardly call saying hi to your brother messing around." I rolled my eyes. "So, what's the occasion you coming out here again? What did you finally ditch your diapers and move up to big boy pants, Tinklelord?" "Hah-hah. Very funny. You're really not going to let that embarrassing moment from our childhoold go, are you?" I really didn't need Asriel confirming that. T.M.I., you two. Bunnie cleared her throat. "Okay, okay. Serious time is now. I know you didn't come all this way to interrupt my training at the academy just for me to humiliate you with old stories." Asriel turned serious. "Chaopolis tried to attack us on on our home turf." That made Chara clam up. "Any casualties?" "None." I reassured. "Any injuries?" "I'd say mostly the intruder's pride." "Tell me the details." "They sent a boy wearing your old jumper and jeans with a knock-off Real Knife and a pirated copy of your locket." Chara furrowed her brow, knowing where this was going. "They must be getting desperate to send brainwashed kids after us. He really did believe he was you. I mean...what were they thinking? Did they really believe I'd fall for something that horribly obvious? I mean, if they were going to send a faker, they could have at least got the gender right. Right?" I could see that look in her eyes that Asriel missed. She knew what it really was. "Who can say. I couldn't figure out much about them when the Wraith was possessing me. Probably just trying to slander my name and image just to try to get to you...distract you...make you give into your anger. Heh...they really didn't know who they were dealing with, did they? I mean...I couldn't even get you to lose your temper back in the day; just make you cry and run to mom and dad a lot. If I couldn't do that, this lame impostor sure couldn't do it." Nice acting, Chara. "So he had an imitation True Knife, huh?" "He had bluster but he couldn't back up his words. It was like...he was even weaker than a monster who didn't want to fight in battle. But he clearly DID want to fight. Obsessively so. I couldn't get him to back down until I unlocked a new power." "Oh? Tell me about that." Chara had a seat on a rock away from the target range. The training kimono uniform definitely helped when it came to cleaning up quite a bit from her hovel-dwelling self from a while back; back when he was a barefoot mess making ends meet in the afterlife. "Well...I have this...code in me and...it lets me...kinda do stuff. I mean some of it is kinda like magic, like being able to store items in anime hammer-space but...the things like ACT and SPARE seem...almost like an RPG game." Chara knew exactly what this was. She wielded that same power once before. Likely all of the fallen children had. "Sounds weird. So...what's new about it?" "Well...something else embedded in the code has stuck around with me since well...my time with Dr. Gaster. It...reacted to virtue over the years and--" "Yeah...I remember your eyes changing color. Sorry about--" "Water under the bridge, Chara. Anyway...I'm...just now unlocking this...Virtue Vessel's power and...I seemed to have awakened the power of Kindness." I didn't know if Chara had met the child that wielded the chef's hat and frying pan. But something about that struck a resonant chord. "And...welll..." Asriel took a deep breath and focused as his eyes turned green...then lit up that shiny green before the giant Pizza Cutter formed. "Okay, THAT'S someting to see." Chara raised an eyebrow. "Not very conventional but I can see how it would be practical. Sword and shield, you know. If anything your enemies will be too off guard to counterattack, right?" "You don't have to sugar-coat it, sis. It's weird, isn't it?" "Very." "So...I guess that's that." Asriel dissolved it. "I wouldn't worry about it." "What? Me worry?" Asriel couldn't resist a shrugging Alfred E. Neuman impression. "Oh grow up, you! What are you 13 and reading that...Mad Magazine crap?" "Hey now. Don't tell me you wouldn't have read Mad Magazine when you were 13." "......dang. When'd you get so good at seeing through my B.S., Azzy? It used to be so easy tricking and poking fun at you." "We don't stay kids forever." "Yeah...guess we don't." Chara looked a little meloncholy by that. I think it was setting in just where things were, now. Bunnie gave some silent body language, indicating that we needed some private time with Chara but we didn't exactly have an out for Asriel. Plus I'm sure it wasn't in good taste to just break up a brother-and-sister reunion over secrets. I was at a loss for ideas. But as always, Bunnie had managed a solution before hand. I think, really, she was just giving me rather a short notice warning at this moment. For who should zip into the area the area but Lieutenant Yachiru Kusajishi in all her pink-haired, hyperactive, sugar rush glory. "HIII, MISS HOPPY-HOP!" "And good day to you, Yachiru." Bunnie bowwed. "Oh wow, is this the fluffy bah-bah you told me about!" She immediately spied Asriel. "Bah-bah?" He blinked dumbfounded. "Let's go have some fun, Mr. Sheepy Sheep!" "But I'm not a--!" "Beep-beep. He's a sheep." Chara prodded with a sly grin. "Charaaaaaa!" Asriel protested. "I'm not a sheep!" He whined, starting to come a little unglued. Guess that was one thing that he hadn't outgrown. Before he knew it, he was being dragged off by the back of the kimono at breakneck pace. "Let's drop in on Kenny! He'll be happy to have fun with you!" Oh no. Kenpachi Zaraki testing Asriel's strength? What hasve we done?" "Don't stay out too late!" Bunnie called after him as he was dragged on his rump, leaving a dust cloud. "He'll be fine." She assured. I sighed and facepalmed. Chara's expression turned serious. "Okay. You got me one on one. Level with me, Arcade. That wasn't an impostor, was it?" "Sharper than a tack, Chara." "I knew my sins would come back to haunt me...I just didn't intend for them to come after Asriel in the process." "I've already told you what a jerk the other you is." I crossed my arms. "He doesn't care at all about Asriel. He's just a key to the door that will let him do a Genocide Run on the surface. Punish all the "worthless humans" who outcast him. Maybe they had a right to." "Not for me to judge when I was poised to do the same." "You were under the influence of the Wraith." Bunnie pointed out. "But I did have an unspeakably horrible life before Mount Ebott. I didn't climb it for a...happy reason to say the least." "I know." I looked off in the distance; the mood had gone from whimsy to grim almost instantaneously. "Contrary to the old army show song, suicide is definitely not painless. Even if you believe it will have no impact, you couldn't be further from the truth. It's a permanent solution to a temporary problem." "The irony is I'm living that permanent solution now...though...living isn't exactly the word when you're a ghost...spirit...soul...something. Still not sure how this afterlife works." "Differently for every world, Chara. I found you the one that would be closest to the World of the Living." "Back on topic...when I stubbornly denied him the new timeline...when I was so desperate to see Azzy again and change our fates......it wasn't that I felt like I was above the consequences. I really believed I was trying to do the right thing and put right what I did wrong. Yet...I still thought that by fixing my mistakes, I'd be spared the consequences. But in the end...I invited worse ones on myself...and Asriel. Which I can never forgive myself for. Even if I wasn't in control. That part...still hurts. What I allowed to happen I still regret. I wasn't strong enough to break free. It almost destroyed your home and your people." "Let the past stay in the past. What do you intend to do about your future?" "Somehow...I'm going to be there for him. I don't know how when I'm...like this. But I'll find a way." "Well. When you get your Zanpakutou and are assigned to squad, there will come a time you might be given a mission in the World of the Living. I'll see if there are any strings that can be pulled. But for the most part...yeah. You're pretty stuck here." "Lovely. Don't get me wrong, Arcade. There are still worse places to be. But....even this wears at the soul after a while. I'm always going to be thinking and dreaming of what could have been. If I had succeeded in...the Plan. Where would Asriel and I be now?" "I don't want to think about it." My ears drooped. "You've been thinking a lot about this." Bunnie observed. "Do not dwell on it, needlessly. It is an unanswerable question at this point. Anything I could suggest would just be speculation." "Same here." I nodded. "You said that he was weak. How weak are we talking?" "Well...Antoine defeated him before he made an attempt on Violet." ".......I have no words." By now, Chara Dreemurr was more familiar with my team and the nuances, tropes, and ins-and-outs of our world. But still a beginner when it came to the pop culture and references that his counterpart was now oversaturated with (instead of actual strategy and a list of our weaknesses. Which put my mind at ease. However, I knew this would one day become an inevitability.) "Adonis really screwed him over. I'd almost feel sorry for him if he didn't intentionally string my family....rather...the Dreemurrs around his finger before pulling the rug out from under everyone in what they must have thought was the most unexpected heel-turn. I may have been an ass to Azzy but I never stopped caring about him. I may have hated life on the surface and hated the people around me. But I never hated Mr. Dad Guy, Goat Mom, and the cutest cinnamon roll in the underground. They were my family. This...version of me that Madam Fate created...he didn't appreciate what he had." "He's shrewd and cunning. Probably more so than you but...you got results while possessed by the Wraith. He has a perfect losing streak." "I don't know whether I should be flattered or insulted. Disappointed or relieved." "Just as long as Azzy is safe?" "Just as long. Asriel and you guys are all that matter." "You really have grown up, Chara-chan." "Honourifics now, Master Rabbotou? What have I done to deserve such familiarity?" "I'll say it. You're officially a friend." I shrugged. "Well. If you would so kindly be a friend and let me continue my training before the instructor has me holding buckets of water with my arms out--" "Yeah I know the Jangese school disciplanary cliche. Stand out in the hall holding heavy weights for an inordinate amount of time until your arms are screaming in pain and soreness. Classic anime trope." I wrinkled my nose. "Well. We should be on our way." "Yeah, we have a goat son to rescue before Kenpachi bulldozes him into the ground." "Yeah...You'd better go get him." Chara waved us off. "And, Arcade?" "Yeah, C.D.?" "...take care of him." "You got it." We bid our farewells, managed to get Asriel out of a tight spot, and headed back through the Senkaimon to Miranda City. Sub-Entry 242: "The Boys and Girls of Rock n' Roll Revival": Before I move on with these logs, I've neglected to mention Pit's return to us after going missing during the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Interdimensional Nexus tournament. If I may apologize for flashing back to shortly after New Years, but Chara's invasion had me a bit preoccupied. Plus I was worried about having to go through more testing on Asriel after so long. I just really don't want to brush something like this under the rug even if Asriel's tests were more pressing. I just...care about my people. All of them. So how did Pit come back to us? Well, with the cleanup of the square and with the repair work finished on the rooftop, I was appropriately reembursed and life had slipped back into the mundane in that brief calm before the coming winter storms. Those significant snowfalls and freezing rain that I dreaded every year. But with it bordering on autumn or spring weather and no semblence of leaves on the ground, the reprieve was most welcome. Yet...I was starting to worry about our archangel scout. And by now others, especially Asriel, were beginning to notice. Pit's SHEPARD tag had been down since shortly after the tournament supposedly began on December 7th in the previous year. That wasn't normal to say the least. Even during the other tournaments, I had always kept track of his signal. Violet assured me not to worry and Bunnie reminded me our angel could take care of himself, having survived three wars in his home realm; and even commanding the forces and spearheading the final attack on the respective villains--a fallen goddess, Medusa; a demon lord, Orcos; and the rule of Tartarus/the Underworld, himself...Hades. Yes, THAT Hades. I digress. We were all in the square during the slowest day when it happened--Pit's body literally fell from the sky and impacted the ground, leaving an impossibly large crater. Unresponsible, and eyes that had dulled green irises...but lacked any pupils...like I had seen in anime where characters where knocked unconscious but with their EYES OPEN. Yeah. Kind of a disturbing thing. Pit had told me that in the tournament, K.O.'ed fighters would be transformed into life-sized, statue-like trophies, complete with a base...not sure HOW that worked but a simple tap on the base by an active fighter would be enough to return them to normal. Suffice to say...I questioned the logic of this "Nexus Tournament"...but that's for another time. This was different. He wasn't a statue. As far as I could tell, he was alive-ish. But defying a lot of medical science laws in the process. Just when we were about to have him admitted to the emergency ward of the medical bay, something else fell from the sky...almost ghostly in appearance, surrounded with rainbowish aura...like the prismic effect you could see in oil floating on water...but glowing. I'd later confirm that this was in fact Pit's very Spirit. Like...a soul. No sooner did PIt's Spirit rocket into a free fall, it impacted his body and with that...he sprung to life like nothing had happened. I could tell he was shaken by something but also relieved to be home. As far as his medical checkup went...he had a clean bill of health and not a scratch on him despite the crater he left. Yet...he still claims to have huge memory gaps about what happened in the Tournament. Nor can he remember who actually won the whole thing. The only things he could remember were a couple names...and a phrase. "Galeem" and "Darkhon" and "World of Light". Perhaps some day the missing gaps will reveal themselves, but...I'll have to ponder it later. For now? Back to the present. And with that present comes the matter and place at hand. Computer Valhalla. Again. We arrive at this place. Again history has to repeat its favorite tropes that it had cemented in stone when it came to Violet. And yes...she had yet another Skrillex track on the doorbell. "Huh. Rock n' Roll (Will Take You to the Mountain)." Asriel observed, barely batting an eyelid. "Azzy? Any reason you recognize this song?" I was a little dubious of Violet rubbing of on him in any way. "Would it help if I said that Vi's been customizing the soundtracks in my simulation training?" "Would it help? Your case? Maybe. Her case? Not in a million years." "At...least she put up the censored version." Asriel rubbed the back of his head. "Not. Helping." I crossed my arms as we entered. As expected we were greeted with the fwoosh of kersosene fog and the music track "End of Line" by Daft Punk. Again from Tron: Legacy. It was less of a pattern and more of a ritual, now. "Just once, could that rabbit do something that actually surprises--" Learn to keep your big mouth shut, Volt. At that moment, the towering form of a working, scale replica of a certain yellow Autobot from a certain recent movie loomed over us with a wave and speech stitched together from random radio broadcasts. I'm pretty sure it was something to the effect of "Welcome to Computer Valhalla" and that this arcade was "more than meets the eye" and a few other quotes I'm sure Violet shelled out a lot just for use of the intellectual property. "This can't be legal." I smoldered. "Hi, Bee!" Asriel waved back. The sign-in and the meeting at Violet's desk...all familar. I didn't even blink when the lights when out and the stage spotlights came on. "Taking bets on what it'll be this time?" Asriel asked. "You know I don't bet." I crossed my arms. "I'm guessing something pop related. Something trendy from the 80's." And wouldn't you know it. He was right. And there were Violet and two other Ecotropian white rabbits on stage, one blond, one brunette with glasses. All three were in the most accurate cosplay of the Miller Sisters--Brittany, Elenor, and Jeanette I had ever seen, even down to the additional chipmunk fur suits, makeup, and prosthetic teeth. The hair and clothes were completely spot-on, too. Her attention to detail could get outright scary. "Sun goes down. I'm just getting up. I'm headed for the city lights. Radio blasting on the way to the club. Gonna rock this town tonight! You're living in a man's world they telll us but we ain't gonna buy it. The things they're trying to sell us now... 'Cause we're the Girls of Rock n' Roll! Yeah, we're the Girls of Rock n' Roll! (Rock n' Roll!)" Yup. Violet's really going for it. And it looks like she found some willing male counterparts to play the parts of the Seville Brothers--Alvin, Simon, and Theodore. From the practically-robe-like long-sleeved color coded shirts--Alvin's with the giant yellow "A" on it--to Simon's blue horn-rimmed glasses, Theodore's pudgy build, and Alvin's trademark red ball cap; which had been described as "a piece of Americana", this trio nailed the image down to the fur suits and mannerisms. Even Alvin's showboating competition with Brittainy to see who could steal the spotlight better. "Whoah yeah! Curtain's up and I'm ready to go. My guitar is in my hand! There's nothing more that I'd rather do than play in a Rock n' Roll band! All we have is what we will be givin'! Headed for the top! (Don't you know?) We'll never stop believin' now! Cause' we're the Boys of Rock n' Roll! (You better believe it! Yeah, yeah, yeah!) Yeah! We're the Boys of Rock n' Roll! (Rock n' Roll!)" Sometimes I have to wonder where Violet finds Ecotropian white rabbit hybrids as fan-crazed as her when it comes to putting on a spot-on, shot-for-shot accurate cover of these 1980's music videos from big animated movies back in the day. "We are the Girls! We are the Girls! We are the Girls of Rock n' Roll!" "We are the Boys! We are the Boys! We are the Boy of Rock n' Roll!" "Cause' we're the Boys of Rock n' Roll!" "Yeah, we're the Girls of Rock n' Roll!" (Better be believin that we are--)" "Yeah, we're the Boys of Rock n' Roll! (Rock n' Roll!)" "Yeah, we're the Girls of Rock n' Roll! (Rock n' Roll!)" "Yeah, we're the Boys of Rock n' Roll! (Rock n' Roll!)" "Yeah, we're the Girls of Rock n' Roll! (Rock n' Roll!)" "Yeah, we're the Boys of Rock n' Roll!" (Gonna Rock n' Roll and Rock n' Roll and Rock n' Roll! Gonna Rock n' Rolllll!)" "Yeah, we're the Girls of Rock n' Roll!" Credit where credit is due. Violet and her troupe have talent. But darned if she still doesn't go over the top on this. Asriel of course clapped. "Thank you, our adoring public." "You done yet, Vi?" I frowned. "Yeah, I'm good." Vi and her troupe ducked behind their folding changing curtains and soon emerged in their usual attire. "Same time, same place!" She bid them adieu then invited us over to the bar for smoothies and bowls of our favorite discontinued breakfast cereals that further borrowed nostalgic image and license. "Mmm. A fruity breakfast with the ghosts!" Azzy raised his spoon and traced the "no ghost" logo. I shrugged as I alternated between a certain cereal system that was one half plumber, one half elf in green. Fruity on side, berry on the other. Leave it up to Vi to diffuse me from irate to mildly indifferent with the gift of sugar and high fructose corn syrup. But I guess for the time being my disdain was in another castle. "Vi, I hope you're going to treat these tests with decorum." "You wound me, Commander." "No, I'm just following a tired pattern that I can't seem to break which involves me ending up the butt-end of a simulation I didn't sign up for." "Awww, tell me how you really feel." "You know what? Not this time, Vi. Asriel knows his way to the lab. You guys can do this without me." "Somebody's a grumpy bumpy today." Asriel withheld a chuckle. "Aunt Vi you are so uniquely...you." He said with a shrug. "Don't I know it!" After skyrocketing our sugar intake, Azzy and I went our separate ways, with me headed back to my shop and him to Vi's private lab. Sub-Entry 243: "Return of the Revenge of Sequelitus is Back Again Part 6, Turbo Hyper Director's Extended Edition:" Ugh. Vi, stop tampering with my log entries. Azzy of course made his way to the lab with Violet and they of course stopped in her private lab. While I knew better, I was foolish enough to answer Vi's video conference call where she just had to stream what was going on in her lab. Asriel entered to the sound of Braun Strowman's entrance music from WWE. "Someone planning on getting "these hands", Aunt Vi?" Azzy joked, wiggling his fingers. "Good to see you keeping up with the times. But honestly, I was about to update it to Finn Balor's entrance music on account of recent events." "Oh you." Azzy seemed mildly amused, if not for the sake of suspension of disbelief. Yeah, he knew it was all scripted by this point and he didn't care. It was still hilarious to him at times. "Somehow I'm not surprised that the Royal Rumble is your favorite event." "Check the crown, Cinnamon Roll. It's not just for looks. It makes a statement about LIFE!" Violet pumped her fist and took a seat at her bank of keyboards and organs. "What'll it be for a musical interlude this time, Goat Son?" "Mmmm...surprise me!" And with that Violet hack-n-cracked and belted out the sounds of the arrangement of F-Zero's "Big Blue" as it was remixed in Mario Kart 8, while offering Asriel on of my spare saxophones. He gladly obliged as Jon, also in the room, picked up the electric guitar he won off of Count Jack Zack in a poker match not long ago. Wow. That guy just could not catch a break from his own self-made karma, could he? Then again, he'd been out of WWW for ages now, so maybe life was just taking an unnecessary dump on him just to be cruel. As much as I hated to admit the Skype-ing of Vi's mix of work and play...it was a darn good song and I had taught Asriel well the ways of the saxophone. "Nice." I complimented as they finished. "Now about getting down to business--" Violet was already raiding her mini fridge for discontinued drinks from the 80's. I immediately spied the folding accordian design of the fruit "Burple" drinks. Just add water for even MORE sugary delight. Gods. Azzy was still such a kid, guzzling this stuff like it was no thing. At least it wasn't carbonated. "You know you're keeping it pretty dark in your sub-lab, Aunt Vi. Pretty sure looking at computer screens without adequate lighting is bad for your eyes." "It's out of necessity." That's when Asriel felt something bump into his leg. "Huh? What's...? Now where did you come from? And for that matter...what are you?" "Azzy, meet Gizmo. He's a mogwai." "Mogwai!" the big-beared fuzzy oriental creature chattered. "He's cute!" "Yeah, be careful with him. There are three rules to abide by and I can't stress them NEARLY enough. 1) Don't get him wet. I mean at all." "Uh...sounds unsanitary, but okay." "Trust me. 2) Don't feed him after midnight. Veeeeery important." "Weird. But doable." "And 3) Keep him out of bright light." "Like you're doing now?" "Yes. Including sunlight. Sunlight will KILL HIM." Asriel did a double-take almost like he couldn't believe what Vi just said. "Yikes. Okay. So. I take it he's very nocturnal?" "You have no idea." "H.B.O.!" "Huh?" Asriel looked confused then sniffed under his arm. "I don't think I have--" Violet laughed. "Nice. But he's talking about cable TV." "One of those channels that no longer exists?" "Nah, it exists. Just a shell of its former self. I mean back in the day, that logo sequence before movies started; with the roving camera shot through the city before going up into the stars and then that sequence of orange-scale hyperspace stars wrapped around the edge of the letters as we took a journey into H.B.O. Feature Presentation! Man, that was the--" "Keep it clean." Azzy scolded. "I was going to say the bomb." "Suuuuure you were." Asriel put his hands on his hips with a smug look. "You sassin' me, boy?" "If the sandal fits, wear it." Asriel prodded. "I have taught you well...too well." Vi mused. Violet spun around in her chair and put a pair of dark sunglasses on the patchwork-furred, big eyed, pointy-eared fuzzball. "Go and play. You know where the TV's at." "Yo, Vi! I got popcorn and slushees ready to go. The little guy ready to binge?" Alf poked his head into the room. "He's ready to go. With it being this early in the day, you don't have to worry about his diet. Just don't binge too far into the day. We don't want him nipping at the midnight hour." "I'll treat him like he's my own son." Alf looked down at Gizmo....then back at Violet. "...or at least a cousin-once-removed." "You know that if anything happens to him or if we have another incident like in Kingston Falls or that disaster in Clamp Tower--" "Put it out of your mind, Vi-Vi. He's as safe in my hands as--" Alf tried to spin a replica of the Crystal Eye from Mega Man 5 on his finger before...well, do I really need to say it? "......you know I'm not above pointing out the continuing conspiracy of the force of gravity." Dead silence. "Uh, hey. C'mon there, little guy. We got a marathon to get to!" Gizmo waddled over and took Alf by the hand. "Yo!" Gizmo had fashioned a red headband and put it on. Someone was looking foward to watching Rambo. "You said it little guy. You can never have enough Stallone." "W-w-w-what's he g-g-g-got that I don't got-t-t-t-t?" Max Headroom chimed in. "Umm. Actually it's what you've got that he doesn't--a stutter." "Oh pu-pu-pu-lease. You're no-no-not thining of cleaning up my c-code are you?" "Tempting. But then you'd lose that charm of yours." Asriel shrugged as he played around with Violet's gyroscope drone which was getting weird attention from one of the "Batteries Not Included" spaceships that had found its way back to our world and into Vi's lab. Nearby, Kuma was running in an extra large hamster wheel Vi constructed--one that was powering a generator setup for a D.I.Y. electronic device charger. Glitter.EXE took great pride in coaching him to get in shape...though he really didn't need exercise, being virtual. But I guess this was her way of enforcing discipline on him. "The lab's really hoppin' today, Aunt Vi." Asriel mused as one of the Johnny-5 toys rolled past him on the nearby table. "I'm in rare form today." Jinx rolled past in the opposite direction. "All this is well and good, but...shouldn't we be getting to...?" "Yeah, yeah. Jeeze. I didn't peg you for a stick-in-the-mud." "Better it come from me than Volt. And I know how you like being scolded by him. And then whapped by Bunnie." "Uhhh. Don't go bringing up last movie night." "You were the one who okayed "Return of the Living Dead". Sorry I fell asleep but...it was just so cheesey and the makeup and special effects were horrid. And also--" "Yeah. Don't say any more. Bunnie already laid into me." Vi crossed her arms. I continued to watch as Vi's quad-copter live-streamed it to me. "I guess I put it off long enough. C'mon. Let's go." "Well I've seen enough. Wake me when the tests are over." I ended the transmission and laid down on my cot and covered up, not bothering to take off my sandals. Had I stayed awake juuuust a little longer, though... Sub-Entry 244: "When you Virus Bust on a Shooting Star..." ...I would have noticed the flicker of static. Not from the video feed...but all around me. No, no no no...!!! "Uh...Volt? You there?" "Azzy...wha...what are you doing in my shop? The tests over already? *yawn*" "Listen...don't freak out--" A pause. "When you say don't freak out, that's prelude to me waking up to see something that DOES freak me out." I opened my eyes. "Asriel. Why am I looking directly at the floor...and...why can't I feel my arms, legs, tail...or much of my body? In fact all I can feel is my head...my face, ears, jaws..." "Yeah...you're not going to like this." "What the...?" I noticed as my field of vision moved upward. "Azzy? Why aren't I in control of my own actions. "It'll...become clear in a moment..." I found myself turned to the right...and I could see an armored blue arm with a dark blue glove. "Azzy? Is that your arm?" And then I saw it out of my peripheral vision...dark blue with a famliar gold emblem on the chest...white parallel stripes wrapping around the sternum and rib-cage. The semblence of yellow stripe outlines on the sides of the body suit. But the perspective I was seeing this from. "Brace yourself." Asriel held his hand out and decompressed what looked like a mirror. And then I saw it. I saw that I was fused to his left arm, sporting a helmet motif like the one he was wearing. There was a green electromagnetic energy...a fire in my jaws, my eyes were glowing red. My ears curled around like triangular fins and there were domed ports where my connected to my head...like a pair of helmet ears. I knew what this was. "You're...taking it rather well--" Asriel started before the whole Cyberspace echoed with my rage. "VIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" The green flames BELLOWED out of my mouth. "Hey! Hey! Easy there! That's my arm you're overheating!" And sure enough Violet's holograme window opened up to her singing "When you wish upon a star..." as it had been sung in that Disney movie. You know the one. "REALLY, VIOLET?! REALLY?!? You're going to pull the SAME THING on ME that you pulled on--!" I almost said "Evil-Chara" with Asriel in the room. "But you two make such a great team together, what's the harm in making you...inseparable?" "Violet, this is the single, lowest, sneakiest, unbelievable trick you've ever pulled on me! When I get out of this simulation, you're going to have to borrow the entire hamster wheel collective from the Kids Next Door if you want Computer Valhalla to have electrical power again!" "Aww, don't be salty. Make the best of a situation. Besides, Asriel's training waits for no one!" Vi blipped out. "I...still stand by what I said." Asriel shrugged. "So. She stuck us in a Mega Man Star Force game. You're obviously Subaru Hoshikawa A.K.A. Geo Stellar and I'm obviously War Rock A.K.A. Omega-Xis. Together we wave change into Rockman or Mega Man. There are only three of them in the Rockman no Ryuusei/Mega Man Star Force series, so it narrows it down which one we're in." "Well, except for Battle Network, she always seems to put us in these Rockman/Mega Man games in the first sequel. Mega Man 2, Mega Man X2, Mega Man Zero 2. This is the fifth go so...it could go either way. Personally, I'm banking on the pattern rather than the exception." Asriel rubbed his chin with his functional hand. "I can see you've taken to her "curriculum" pretty well." I said dryly. "Eheheh...just trying to be a good student in all things." I sighed. "I guess I can't fault you for that. But really. Video game simulations...this is what she's training you ind instead of something actually career-related?" "Preaching to the choir, best friend. Preaching to the choir. Not to say it HASN'T come in handy before. I mean...where would I be now if I weren't honing my reflexes and gamer skills?" "Touche." I conceded. "Let's get our bearings." "Nothing looks familiar to me." "Yeah, she would have to pick a game you haven't played yet. Again." "Technically this is a generation 7 game so...I should be right about at this level. Though Vi did pull a fast one with Sonic Generations a while ago..." "Yeah, 3DS and Vita games wouldn't be until generation 8 and with Switch, XBox One X and PS4 games riding and crossing the border of Generation 8 and 8......" I started rambling. "Nevermind. Let's just figure something out or we'll be stranded here all day." We...or rather Asriel was standing on a transluscent purple plane of energy...like a walkway. The edges were wrapped in yellow neon tubing that had wavy zig-zags every few feet or so...like static or interferrence. Square patterns cycled through shades of purple at every junction and turn. We were far above the clouds...it felt like a stone's throw from the atmospheric border and not that far from geosynchronous orbit. This was as close as Azzy had EVER been to the stars, even though they were artificial. "Wow." "Yeah...really." I pondered. "I think we might be on the Sky Wave. And if I'm right I might know which of the trilogy we're in. Let's follow the path and it should lead to exactly where I think..." And so we worked our way around the maze of Echo Ridge's Sky Wave paths; sure enough the program at the end told us how to get to Loch Mess. No doubt about it, now. This was Mega Man Star Force 2. At this point it was irrelevant whether it was the Zerker x Saurian or Zerker x Ninja. version. We'd find out soon enough. As we travelled and encountered random virus battles, I gave Asriel a crash course in Virus Busting. "Whoah. It's like a third-person version of Super Adventure Rockman. Weirdly so." Asriel had to get used to moving side to side on the 3 x 6 grid; enemies at the far end. "Battle Card: Ground Wave!" Asriel tossed the card into the air as I opened my maw and snapped my jaws around it...digitally digesting the data and transforming it into weaponry. With that Asriel bround down the mighty shockwave along the ground and took out the first virus. "Battle Card: Plasma Gun!" With my jaws snapping down on this one, I felt my form change shape as I shifted from Omega X-is' pseudo arm cannon form to a blaster with humming coils and a spike electrode tip and unleashed a ball of blue white electric plasma. A ball which turned the last virus into scraps of binary and distorted waves. "This is pretty fun!" Asriel soon came to the junction between Echo Ridge's sky wave and Loch Mess'. ZOOM! Nothing could have prepared him for the sudden slingshot across the planet at what seemed like satellite altitude. He could practically touch those stars as he did his Superman impression. Before I could blink twice... "The data tag says Mess Village SW." "Okay. We're here." "So what's the plan?" I pointed to the wave hole. A swirling orange whirlpool in the floor. "That's our way out and onto the rest of the game." Asriel stepped in the center and the next thing we knew, we were being teleported in a blue streak of light. Well THIS was certainly familiar... And then when we reformed we were over top a wave hole among wave road paths...in the "real" world. But it wasn't Echo Ridge. This looked like a very...Irish or Scottish Land. It was a harbor area surrounded by water and dotted with grassy islands. The hovering arc-shaped "Welcome" sign was pretty obvious as was the hovering CMM News van with the incredibly obvious neon purple vortex going into it. There were kiosks with balloons in the shape of a plesiosaur. The so-called "Messie" I was gussing. Around us, the humans paid us no heed. We were invisible in this wave being form. "I think it's about time we split up." "You're not...leaving me here, Volt?" "That's not what I meant. Just pulse out." "Pulse...out?" After a bit of trial and error, Asriel figured out how to cancel the transformation. "Ooh. Nice clothes. Love the visor. And...really, Vi? Naruto sandal-boots?" "They let your toes breathe." That was when he noticed... "Volt?! You said you weren't going to leave me!!" "Relax, kiddo. I didn't." "Huh? Where--" "Check your side holster. There's an electronic device in there called a Star Carrier." Asriel fished it out and looked at the screen. "Volt?" "Hi, best friend." I waved, with the driest of facial expressions...considering. I was a ball of turquoise blue EMF energy contained by...armor similar to what Asriel was wearing as Mega Man. Claws, forearms, furry...mane, and body turquoise electromagnetic flames. Those red eyes and the turquoise flames coming out of my mouth. Those rounded shoulder pauldrons and dark blue wing protrusions. I still looked very wolf-like, as Omega X-is could be described as an AM-ian electromagnetic wolf beast with humanoid characteristics. "Ah...just like..." "Yeah. Battle Network. But different this time. Y'know?" "Yeah, I know." We didn't have much time to talk before we were interrupted by Luna "Pres" Platz. And wouldn't you know it...Violet would pluck familiar people from our lives...and Goat Son's past to fill the roles of Luna Platz, Zach Temple, Bud Bison, Sonia Strumm and more. "If my head were attached to a physical neck, I'd shake it disapprovingly." I sighed. "Ivy as Luna Platz? Kind of a stretch." Asriel shrugged. Skeeter as Bud Bison made sense. I guess I could see Mitzi as Sonia Strumm, though she never actually played an instrument let alone guitar. But the singing was definitely her. And yes...Toriel ended up reprising her role as Azzy's mother. This time as Hope Stellar. I couldn't imagine Asgore as Kelvin, no matter how I tried. Which left Rotor as Mr. Boreal and so on. "Did she HAVE to pick Al Dente to fill the role of Inspector Bob Copper?" I rolled my eyes. If I may fast-forward a little; through some convolution of finding a translator to understand the locals, to Zack (for some reason played by Pit) ending up being kidnapped and trapped in a submarine at the bottom of the ocean. It culminated with Asriel and I becoming Mega Man and borrowing the "Dive Machine" from a local to traverse the underwater wave road and go up against an EM Body in which Romero (For some reason played by David the Fareskel...gods help us if he ever found out Vi used his image for this...) had become Surf Plesio. "Rotor would be so jealous of us going underwater with this Dive Machine." Asriel mused. "Eyes on the mission, Goat Son." After finding all the Gold Hertz programs and opening the way forth. Yeah...that skull insignea sure looked famliar. "Wily's going to blow his top when he finds out someone else is using his trademark." "Joke later, Asriel." I said as the scenario played out and Gerry Romero monologued about tricking Zack into his trap; stuck in a fake Messie submarine at the bottom of hte sea and using that to boost his ratings for his TV show. Worse yet, he was behind the impending Tsunami that was about to wipe out the entire Observation Deck of Loch Mess. "Hey, Asriel. I think it's time to go Buck Wild!" I felt my battle instincts surge...not to mention Omega X-is' influence. "Wave Battle! RIDE ON!" Asriel started out the battle, slipping into the Ninja Style transformation and then adding a Wood Element Plus battle card to it. Starting off with Chain Ball and landing a counterhit as Plesio attacked gave him an early advantage and a Fire Ring 2. We dodged Nessie's sudden underneath-us-snaps in an attempt to swallow us whole and continued with charged Mega Buster shots, another Chain Ball and followed up with Plasma Gun, which stunned him quick. Electric element against a water type? No-brainer. But we also had to watch out for mini tsunami waves and other tricks up its sleeves. The yellow metal, long-necked plesiosaur continued his onslaught until Asriel landed the final blow and causd his wave body to self-destruct and split apart from Romera. How quickly the crowd turned on Romero when he was exposed. As a final note to our adventure, Azzy and I rescued Zack from his watery prison and all was well. After a multitude of dialogues and a bit of drama that plucked at the heart strings, Zack formed a Brother Band with Geo...or rather Asriel and that was that. At least...that was ALMOST that...Vi had one extra bonus round to spring on us as she fast-forwarded us to an impromptu battle with...! "Heloha!" "Uh...Heloha?" Azzy blinked. "My name is Kidd Gruff! I'm here on a training pilgrammage! I can feel an amazing power coming from you! You wouldn't happen to be able to Wave Change, would you?" Gruff turned out to be Geo's age. Darker complexion, green kung fu uniform, purple headband done up almost like Lan Hikari's bandana. "Wow, how did you know?" "Actually, I can wave change too! I become Kung Foo Kid!" "Time out, Aunt Vi." Asriel paused the simulation. "Are you going where I think you're going with this?" "That'd ruin the surprise." Violet was smug as heck. "Stick to the script, Goat Son." Asriel cleared his throat. "Wow! When I wave change, I become MegaMan!" "MegaMan? You mean the one who beat Andromeda?" Asriel just rolled with it. He hadn't played the first one. Granted...it wasn't exactly common knowledge among this world...so how did he know about the events of the first game? Plot holes later. "Oh my! I'm training here at Messie's Cove. If you don't mind I'd like to have a match with you some time! Come and see me when you feel up to it!" Do I need to say "Challenge accepted"? And so... "Hi-yaah!" Kung Foo Kid announced with a bleet. "Feel like sparring, Mega Man?" His kung fu outfit had turned more slate blue-ish and he was full-on, white-furred goat with yellow horns and now barefoot. "I'm not sure if I should be flattered, Aunt Vi..." Asriel muttered. "But I know you didn't program this in here." "Of course not. Believe it or not, this boss is a fan-made creation made just for this game." "I believe it." "Let's go Buck Wild, already." Asriel smirked. "Ride on." I mused as the battle commenced. "Let's do this." A Double Tribe-On followed up with Green Carpet. We had to dodge his jump kicks and martial arts prowess. He was good and despite our early lead, he evened the score pretty quick. It was back and forth until we stunned him and summoned Queen Ophiocus EX. Mowing him down hurt him bad, and the additional poison effect drained him further. "Let's finish him off." Asriel said as he picked TaurusFire EX and a Long Sword. Taurus Fire set the field ablaze, knocking his HP down to the teens and then a final focused strike with the Long Sword ended the match. "Yeaaaargh! MegaMan, you've got some real fighting chops!" "You're pretty good yourself." I mused. "We'll spar again soon." Me itching for a fight? Or was that Omega X-is talking? "I'll be waiting. That reminds me...you should try turning Messie's "Fishing Rods" ON! You'll be surprised what happens!" I mentally wrote that down for another time...for now... "Bravo, you two. Nicely done." Violet complimented as the simulation dissolved and we found ourselves back in her sub-lab." "How did you do it, Vi? How did you get me out here without knowing it? I stayed as far away from this place as I could and you STILL suckered me in. How?" "What? You a Native American Chief now?" "Very funny." I crossed my arms. "Seriously. What did you do? How did you do it?" "Well...sore wa himitsu desu--" THWAP! "It may be a secret, Violet..." Bunnie grabbed her by the ear. "But sooner or later secrets come out. Care to make it the easy way or the hard way?" I guess me settling the score with Vi would have to wait. Bunnie already kinda did it for me. But wait! I'd forgotten. "Violet! What about LYOKO?!" Asriel cut in. Bunnie stopped dragging her away. "Your punishment is postponed. Get to it." "Okay, okay. No more tricks and no more goofing off." Violet shrugged. "This way." Violet let back to the dead end...which turned out to be a holographic illusion that lead into the hallway that led back to the Supercalculator. Sub-Entry 245: "Another Session in LYOKO Uncovers More About the Virtue Vessel": As soon as Violet reached the door, she dissolved int a flood of binary. I scoffed. Another of her matter-wave polymorphic phantom clones. She couldn't even handle the simulator in person? THe doors opened and there she was, wiping her nose with a bloody tissue. "Aunt Violet..." Asriel looked concerned. "You know you can tell me the truth about this machine. Why do you have to keep hiding the strain it puts on you." By now Asriel was less naive about it and had semblance of an idea of what it took to upload the handshaking software to her own cerebrum in order to properly use LYOKO at its full potential. Little did he know just HOW hard this machine was on Vi...and that she had yet to use it's deepest, darkest secrets. Secrets which would result in more than a bloody nose if she ever had to go there. "No pain, no gain." "Yeah...but I only have one Aunt Violet. C'mon, Vi...don't kill and don't be killed." "I hear ya loud and clear." Vi shrugged as she lowered the Eyephones. "Get crackin, my little egg man." "Not your best pun, Vi." Asriel slipped off his sandals and stepped into the Scanner. "Man, this thing gets smaller and smaller each time I do this." "Nah. You're just a growing boy." "I know, I know. It's just...getting hard to deal with maturity sometimes. Be it physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual." The door closed. "Scanner: Asriel. Transfer: Asriel. Virtualisation!" And that download had him soon back into that environment of hyper-realism as Benton Quest would probably call it. "Never been to this part of LYOKO before." "Yeah wait up for your team. The others are running late--" And that was when Skeeter, Pit, Gadget, and Mitzi entered and took their places to be virtualised. "You guys are currently in Sector 5. Essentially the core and maintenance sector of Lyoko." "It's so...artificial." Mitzi observed. That was definitely the description that fit. Blue, neon landscape...boxy platforms and walls and everything. It looked like monochrome Tetris after being soaked in glow stick fluid. Photoluminescent, hard on the eyes and really bland and sterile. Occasionally they're be blocks with circuit patterns etched in them. There was semblance of ambiant industrial noise...maybe music? It was hard to tell. But overall...very quiet and very lacking in atmosphere. If there was any real discription that could be assigned to what sensations the group was experiencing...it would be akin to the faintest of static energy. "Yeah, this is what I kinda expect the inside of the Internet to look like. It's not at all like the famliar environments of the forest, volcano, ice, or mountain sectors." "Just do your thing and pick what you want. I'll handle your rupees..." "Ugh...really, Vi? A Legend of Zelda CDI reference? You're getting worse." I complained. "C'mon. Get moving you guys." So they did so. The early part of the area required Pit to make use of his cat-like abilities to walk jump and wall climb. Some loose XANA viruses required some use of Arrow Darts and Tessan Fans with an occasional Energy Burst from Gadget. Mostly it was tame without needing melee range attacks. It was okay. Asriel was patient. By now he was leading a pretty well-organized team. Two save points down and no real hazards to speak of. There was barely any exchange of words amongst them. Everything was instinctive and barely required body language let alone speaking to know what to do. "Come on guys. At least someone make a fart joke or something." Violet broke the silence. "Ewww, Miss Viiiiii!" Gadget complained. "Classy. Reeeeeeal classy." Mitzi crossed her arms. "Heh." Skeeter mused. The first force barrier dropped and the enemies behind went down with barely a fight. Down the hallway to another save point. There was no shortage of life and energy refills. "It's quiet in here. Too quiet." "I think Vi's testing us. It's more about the suspense than any actual threats." Asriel reasoned. "She would have jump-scared us by now." The group had been climbing for a good bit by now with no end it sight. Pit really had to make use of those wall-climbing powers. It was weird...they weren't indentations in the wall, so much as criss-crossing lines of changing code tinted white. Like a crosshatch of data streams...or segments. Through another doorway and to the left was another barrier with the XANA emblem. Pinkish but sinister. That was when Asriel noticed the platforms wrapped in raining Matrix code. On a hunch he tried jumping on one...and sure enough it dissolved away in a split second, dropping him unceremoniously. Gadget and Mitzi helped him up. "Pit, we're going to need your time slow." "Got it." Pit focused and the environment became filled with additional falling code that slowed and stopped. Everyone's movements became blurred with after-images. "C'mon!" Pit leaped across the platforms and got in range to shoot the trigger on one side of the wall, got down to ground level and jumped the other set of platforms and shot the other trigger. The barrier quickly dropped. "Nice." Asriel complimented as time resumed. After several attempts at more disappearing blocks ahead--in order to reach a hidden data packet--the group finally came to a strange platform elevator device with a pair of domed bullseye shields clamped to the sides. It took them around a track made of black panel patchwork and rails to a narrow platform. And once at the end... "And done. Ready to come out now?" "Wait. That's it?" Skeeter frowned. "I didn't get to do anything!" Gadget and Mitzi looked at each other and shrugged. Everyone exited once the devirtualisation process ended. "Well. Did you learn anything, Aunt Vi?" "Some." Violet spun the hanging monitor around to show an outline of Asriel's body with his soul shown inside the chest. A blow-up view showed the heart-shaped entitity divided into seven pie slices. While six of them were dark, one piece was bright neon green. "This vessel has been embedded with in you for a very long time. I can't say where it came from and why it's bonded with you." Which was true. She COULDN'T say...yet. "Yet it's linked to those virtues you learned 7 years ago. Mitzi's influence somehow corresponds to kindness and your willingness to show mercy to your opponent opened the gates to this part of your soul. I feel like...your code has evolved and rewritten itself around this...vessel. But to what purpose and to what ends? There's the million dollar question." "Can you tell me what it does?" "I'm afraid I know about as much as you do. I can tell you that it's resonant with the virtue of kindness...though...how I mathematically qualify and quantify that is still a quantum mechanics miracle; not since programming emotion engines for A.I.'s has such an abstract concept been able to be reduced to logic and data so readily. And even then I still question that something is missing from my analysis." "Uh...I guess I kinda get all that." "You triggered something back there with the wonky faker. Something that tapped into the potential of your unique soul and reacted with your pseudo-code, unlocking a new power." "Yikes. I feel just like Midoria after figuring out how to use 5% of One For All without tearing apart his body." "My Hero Academia reference. I taught you well, Azzy." Asriel cracked a smile. "All kidding asside, and no that wasn't a goat pun...I've asked this question before but...what happens when all seven virtues are filled?" "I wish I had an answer, Goat Son. Wish I had an answer. But's just as much a mystery as those eyes of yours." "Hmm." Asriel's eyes turned cyan. "Well I know what that means." "All I can do is wait and wonder what's going to trigger the next one." "Yeah. And train for that faker that thought he could screw with us." Skeeter pounded his fist into his palm. "Don't know what rock our enemy found him under but I assure you, he brainwashed him but good. He really believes he's your sibling." "He's lying to himself as much as he's lying to me." Asriel crossed his arms. "I'm not buying what he's selling and he can challenge me all he wants. I'm not backing down and I'm not going to let him make a mockery of my best friends. Any of you. The real Chara is included in that mix." I felt my stomach knot from that statement. He would know the truth some day...but it's better that he not know. Not as things are. Not with Chaopolis trying so hard to corrupt the Promise. Was I any better withholding the truth? It wasn't about being better. It was what I believed was the right path all things considering. The rest of the UCIAT were in agreement and Asriel supported me to keep him in the dark, knowing full well there WAS a secret. One he could potentially figure out on his own. What a razor's edge I was balancing morality on. Well...nothing to do but wait and continue preparing. Maybe conduct an investigation of my own. I was curious to find out more about Evil-Chara. I had the opportunity to go back in time to the "red band" part of the timeline and see events unfold; whether it be Evil-Chara's fall into the Underground, his death and later ressurection, the fall of each of the other six chilidren, the birth of Flowey, Mettaton's creation. Anything I wanted answered, I could see for myself and understand how this whole thing came about. I put that on the burner for now. It was just as well. For another question was on my mind. What happened to Evil-Chara after escaping our world and returning to Chaopolis in defeat? Sub-Entry 246: "There's No Lesson to Be Learned. You'll Get Your Power Back...At a Cost": For someone like Evil-Chara, failure is its own punishment. But when you work for someone like Adonis? That's not NEARLY enough. His suffering had only begun. While hard to sympathize with him, it wasn't impossible. I must be as naive as Asriel used to be; I actually have hope he's redeemable. But that was a thought that would have to be put on hold. Back to Chaopolis. As much as I wanted to try to spy on the enemy...I'd learned my lesson. They'd be expecting it. As if I didn't get enough of an earful of static and the sounds of Chara's torture the first and last time he discovered my tracers. The dimension between dimensions was always changing, always nebulous. Suffice to say, if it were described now, the previous description would be wrought with inconsistancies if not flat out untruths. Adonis' vision of chaos had turned truths about Chaopolis into lies. Does that even make sense? I suppose in his own twisted InfinityVerse, true anarchy could never have anything factual or concrete as it would sully the very word that best described it all--illusion. Illusion of control, illusion of order. Illusion of belief. Just...illusion. Just because illusion was the best description of this Hell between worlds, doesn't mean that it was harmless...that there wasn't anything truly dangerous and the fear itself was the true danger. No. Chaopolis was every bit as deadly, corrupted, twisted, and nightmarish as he had willed it. You just had no way of knowing how so until it was already too late. "ADONIIIIIIIIIIIIIS!" Chara stormed into nebulous chambers, the guards and elites not even moving an inch because Adonis hadn't willed them to do so. Yeah. He was so confident in the situation he was going to let Chara thing he had a straight shot to deck him one for-- *WHAM* And down he went by an unseen force. Blindsided at the last moment. Just because Alloicious Adonis wanted to see the expression on his face. "WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME?! YOU SET ME UP AGAIN!!!" "You sound surprised. Surprised by the one who warned you not to trust him. I did lie to you, did I not? And what a price you've paid." "I THOUGHT YOU WANTED ARCADE AND HIS GOONS TO SUFFER!" "We're oft to blame in this-- 'Tis too much proved--that with devotion's visage and pious action we do sugar o'er the devil himself." "WHAT THE HELL DOES THAT MEAN?" "Spare the rod..." And then Chara spasmed from the excruciating shock that came out of nowhere. "WHAT?! WHAT?!? DOES MY TORTURE AMUSE YOU?!" A brief smirk in the shadows "I DON'T GET YOU! HOW DOES THIS FURTHER YOUR CAUSE?! THIS IS BULLS--" Another shock. "Now now. Language." "WHAT ARE YOU EVEN TRYING TO TEACH ME?! WHAT IS THIS FOR?! WHAT?!?" Silence. "There is no lesson here...is there..." Chara calmed himself. A chuckle. "It's all about what causes the most confusion...the most chaos. I'm just your guinea pig for this...bigger picture of yours!" "Have I not said...that there is no plan. There's no order. There's no reasoning for what I do. I just...do things. I delegate that thinking work to those around me who can be my arms and legs and eyes and ears. For in that I reside in the eye of the perfect storm...a 360 degree view of perfect chaos at all times." "Heh...is that how you see it? Your philosophy is flawed, old man. Being at the eye of the storm means you're removed from your own chaos." Silence. "Finally...I manage to outsmart the great--" And then Chara shrieked as fire engulphed his throat and tongue. "No one likes a know-it-all." "You're not...*cough cough*...as clever as you think...jerk." "What happens when you remove the forces of the storm after it's carved its wrath? It collapses in on the center, bringing the chaos with it." "A waiting game for you?" "A game? Perhaps. Perhaps not. But it's still a lesson you haven't learned. For to master the antihesis, you have to understand the opposite. You came to his world with the anti-virtue of cruelty, thinking you had mastered it. Low and behold Asriel had only moments to revive the virtue of kindness and practically mastered it in his next breath. Accept that you both went in on equal ground but you came up short." "I thought you said there was no lesson. Oh. You lied. Why do I keep walking into these obvious set-ups?" "And yet you have your answer." "But you know that's not the question on my mind. I did ask you and you didn't answer. What. Did. You. Do. To. Me?!?" "Your price is paid in full." "What did I pay to have my shot at revenge?" "Don't you know?" "I get it. I paid with my power...my extermination points...my level of violence. But you knew that even if I hadn't there was no guarantee it would carry over into their world. You knew that it was unlikely I could do to them what I've done to the boss monsters over and over until Arcade spoiled my runs." "Your insight is just as it was when I returned it." "But you took something else. You tampered with something in my head. That's why everything's full of inconsistencies. That's why...even now I still believe Asriel's my brother and why I'll stop at nothing to get him back." "How careless of me to leave a...partial image of the previous Chara's past in you." "Careless my butt...you just thought it would be hilarious!" "And you did not disappoint....even though you clearly disappointed. "Your addiction to contradictions is starting to give me the red a--" "It seems you'll have to start over for your next attempt." "GODDAMMIT!" "Let's leave deities out of this. It's not like either of us believes in them." "I want--" Adonis tented his hands, still obscured by that weird shadow. "What is it with you Millenials...always wanting, wanting, wanting? You're always feeling so entitled. I suppose this is to be expected of a society that gives time-outs instead of spankings. Before you know it, every household will be living its own take on that movie, North." Wow. I couldn't even tell you just how wrong and close-minded Adonis' statement was. I knew he was far gone and that he had let his prejudices consume him. But even I found that offensive and I sure wasn't born within that generation...originally. On top of that, Adonis was doing what was certainly not a new cliche among villains; they try to make everything they do sound noble while discrediting society and even heroes. But the truth is...people like Adonis don't do things for some great cause...they do it becaues they LIKE IT. Like it to the opoint of it being an addiction. Much as Lex Luthor and the Light left the Justice League's reputations in shambles to the point many of them resigned no thanks to their Starro-mind-controlled rampage across the galaxy. Much as the Hero Killer, Stain, was inspiring villains and even neutral parties to sympathize over the "corruption" and "unworthiness" of modern heroes. This shift of blame was just painful to watch by this point. And somehow the InfinityVerse kept falling for it, leaving a nasty mess. "You owe me, old man! I want my power back. And these memories fixed! Get this crap out of my head. I don't want to feel ANYTHING for that stupid goat! I just want my revenge." "Still not asking politely. Predictable. But I suppose there's no talking you out of it. However--" "What price could be worse to pay than what I've already paid?" Adonis let out a maniacal laugh. "It's rather endearing how you consider Asriel the naive one and cannot even see what's in the mirror." Chara already suspected he was getting lured into another bait-and-trap. There's no doubt that he hadn't even scratched the surface of what could be done to him. But his rage and desire for revenge...it was so strong. Could he learn his lesson from his already lengthy list of failures? "Well then. Your wish is granted. Be careful what you wish for..." In a word? No. Sub-Entry 247: "Going Turbo (Teen). A Distraction off World for Goat Son": Well that says it all, doesn't it? Maybe I was just appealing to the kid still in him, but after all that hooplah, he could use something to take his mind off of things, as could I. And what better way than doing what we always did--go adventure seeking off world. So what world did we end up with? Another Earth variant. The 1980's. We just can't resist coming to places like this. Upon landing I of course scoured A.E.O.N. for the heads-up and soon came up with a condensed file on this world. And what I read...well even I wasn't sure I believed it. I'm pretty sure Asriel was skeptical when I explained. "...come on, no way!" "Well this is a first. A story too farfetched for Goat Son. You grew up around magic and stuff." "Volt, first of all, I'll admit, as a magical Goat Prince, I watched magic used for a variety of purposes and I believed it could do anything if not everything. Hanging around Miranda's Mage Acadmy to watch what could have been had I not lost my magic certainly strengthened that notion and by now I've seen a lot of things. Second...what you just explained has nothing to do with magic. It's science right out of a B-Movie." "C'mon. It's not really THAT far out there, is it?" "Okay, if it involved nano-technology like what Sensei has, it'd be plausible. But you're talking about flesh, bone, and blood...organic matter...into metal, glass, rubber, plastic, and refined petroleum." And what were we talking about?" "Sooo...a little hard to swallow?" "Volt, I'm sorry. But there is no way a laser beam can cause a high schooler to turn into a red sports car just by a large change in temperature--" Asriel started as we walked past the video arcade in Washington D.C. Then he did a double take as teenage boy took a hot slice of pizza to the face...and things got conveniently weird. There was a yellowish glow followed sound like iron and steel groaning and twisting as the kid meta-morphed into a red, convertible amalgamation of a Pontiac Trans-Am and a third Chevrolet Camero. An awkward silence. "Not. One. Word." Goat son slow turned to me with a deadpan expression. I just grinned cheesily and shrugged. "Hey. It's the 80's." "Right. That era when all it takes is a laser or a dip in glowing green goop and a normal guy becomes either a crime-fighting superhero or a hideously deformed creature of superhuman size and strength." "Nice monologue. Toxic Crusaders." "Aunt Vi taught me well." Asriel chuckled. "On that note we may be visiting San Zuccinni in the near future." "Joy. Tomato-less pizza." Asriel crossed his arms and shook his head. "Should I pack the salt and pepper?" "Only if run into the K.T.T.F. Also, you might want a brush for F.T." Oh boy. Had we really gotten to the point where we could back-and-forth references so effortlessly? "So now what?" "I think this is the part where we stick our noses into this and be meddling kids." "Rooby-roooby-roo." I laughed as I put my hands in my labcoat pockets and followed Asriel into the arcade. And oddly well-timed as well. For at that moment, without warning or exposition...of all things a FRIGGIN' DRILL TANK crashed through the wall, rolled past the car where a blond teenage girl and an African American teenage guy were also standing idly by before the drill tank mowed down the glass window in front and into the streets. "Too much! A real-life Blaster!" The african-American exclaimed. "Something tells me I found my story." The girl followed up. Asriel turned to me. "Yup. I can smell a reporter for a school news paper a mile away." "We've got to stop it!" I heard the slightly electronic-reverb voice say. "Huh? Who said that--" Asriel looked around. I pointed at the car. "Come on. Really?" "Might I remind you about a certain Knight Industries Two-Thousand?" "Point. Well made." Asriel conceded. "Better get moving. They've already got a head start. We're not going to catch them at that speed." "Wait, wait, wait...I've been wanting to try this mod for a while now." Asriel grinned as he detatched the JoyCon units from his NX-Hoverboard, holstered them, and then plugged a game card into the unit itself. This time it was my turn to be a little nervous and skeptical. "Asriel...what modification did Violet give your rig this time?" Asriel grinned as he produced the NX wheel and fit the Joy Cons in place. "No. No. No, no, no, no." "Oh yes! Mario Kart 8 Special Edition is in effect." He said with a wink as the NX-Board started transforming into of all things...a Mii-themed 200 CC over-sized go cart." "Better hitch a ride on the power lines, partner. Because this adventure just shifted into OVERDRIVE!" Asriel got in and fit the wheel in place, started it up and took off, leaving neon green, white, and yellow contrails. Darnit, Violet! I hung my head for a moment. "The more things change..." I took the express route onto the city power lines and gave chase. "Come on, it's going to take teamwork to beat that thing!" the red "Turbo Teen" exclaimed as his friends got in and took off after the tank. A chase which involved the red sport car getting side-swiped a bit didn't end with the tank plowing into a tree. It barely slowed him down. "Let's see if we can get it to take a detour." By this time Asriel's Unitrix was showing low energy readings. "Uh-oh...I'm about to go into a recharge cycle. Then again, I'm pretty sure a goat on a go-kart wouldn't be the bigger story here." Asriel changed back at that moment. "It must REALLy annoy Ben when this happens." Asriel pressed buttons on the wheel. "It's time for the blue turtle shell, no?" He mused before the blue, winged, spiked turtle shell took flight and homed in on the tank before dropping and impacting with the force of an anvil. But still...a tank could shrug off an anvil. "Ooh. That usually has more impact in the game." "Someone's attacking the tank!" the girl said. By this time I had skated my way across the city power lines and caught up. "A.E.O.N. get me I.D.'s on the people in the car." After a bit the hololyths came up. "Hmm. Interesting. Got anything on the car's owner?" A third hololyth popped up. "Bret Matthews. Well, Mr. Matthews, you've got quite a story to tell." By the time I caught up to Azzy, he was trying to assist with fending off the tank but discoving his weapons didn't have much impact. "Must be alloy armor. Maybe we can hack it." And sure enough, the African-American--whom I had identified as Alex--had climbed onto the machine, opened an access hatch and disconnected some wires. "Far out assist. Thanks for the...like freak me out! You seein' this, Pattie? I think a petting zoo's missing an attraction." "Gee, haven't heard that one 64 times or more." Asriel wrinkled his snoot. "What a story! Video games come to live and walking talking animals come down from another planet!" "If you don't mind, I'd appreciate it if you left us out of your expose." I landed form a jump. "Yow! Night of the Living Werewolf just got a sequel!" "Everyone's a comedian." "Uh...guys? We have more company. Three more drill tanks closed in on us. "Oh boy. We ticked someone off." "C'mon. Let's get them out of the city and take em out!" Asriel hopped back in the Kart and tore off as Turbo Teen managed to slip out of the alley. "And the game is afoot." I mused before electromorphing. "We're serious about keeping us out of this story of yours. We're kinda interferring with your world's timeline." "Could we at least know who it is that I'm cutting out of my scoop?" Pattie smoldered. "Timeline?" The car questioned. "Nice G.P.S. Someone really knows how to program an A.I." "What's a G.P.S.? And A.I.? Man, do you speak English? For that matter do you speak Earthling." "Well, technically we are aliens but--" "Azzy. Don't pollute the time stream any more than we already have." "Time travel, too? This scoop just gets better and better." "Really, Pattie. Could you not do your Lois Lane thing for a moment. We're about to head onto an unfinished highway...with a three-way fork-in-the road."I I mananged to hop on top of Turbo Teen's trunk. "Hey, watch the paint! I just had it waxed." Alex protested. "I think smudged paint is going to be the least of our worries." "Right. Let's thin the masses." I took aim with the XBTOCLC's. "Whoah! Serious firepower! WIsh you could use that in the game!" Alex quipped. I shot out the treads of the center one but the other two closed in fast. Asriel cycled through weapons and picked the Venus Fire Trap powerup. The fireballs eventually locked up some of the wheels causing the whole tank to swerve and flip over off the overpass. Which let one tank. "Hold on!" Turbo Teen said as I noticed the display on the console show "Turbo Thrust Activated" "Whoah! Just like K.I.T.T.'s Turbo Boost!" Asriel watched the car vault over before I nailed the last one with a magnetic shockwave, destroying it. "K.I.T.T.?" "Yeah. Knight Rider?" "If that's anything like Dark Rider, I think I'd sooner not know." Turbo Teen replied as he continued sailing through the air. Asriel hit the glider attachment as the unfinished road came to an end and he took flight after us. And our flight ended in a swimming pool. I surfaced first, followed by Alex and Pattie. Last to surface was... "So good to join us, Mr. Matthews." "Uh...I can explain." "Yeah, I already know your secret, Turbo Teen. Let's just get onto dry land and we'll explain." Asriel touched down and folded up the glider, outside of the pool. "Hey, you guys alright?" "Soaked to the bone but better than those robot tanks." Afterwards, at a stay at the hotel, more hijinx ensued and we got acquainted. "Alien time travellers from another world!" "Which you're going to keep secret. After all, we're doing you a service keeping his secret." I pointed a thumb to Bret. Azzy and I had put on our human disguises and quickly came up with cover stories for Bret's parents. "You know this whole situtation seems familiar. I'm positive I saw something about this in A.E.O.N.'s database." I shuffled through holo-windows. Bret and Pattie looked at each other. "Right. Here it is. Case file TT-01-07, code name "Video Venger". "Yo, that's the name of the arcade game--" "Small coincidence. Yeah, looks like we accidently crossed wires with a secret training simulator for an enemy invasion arm's real plans for a Washington D.C. invasion. Pattie, I can see the dazzle in your eyes as this story keeps getting bigger. Please curb your news hound instincts for just a minute." "Thanks for giving my NX Kart a tune-up, Mr. Alex." "It's all good under the hood, Awesome A. She's in good hands when I'm holding the quarter-wrench." A bit of convulution later and we were on the run again. This time from a rather orange...robot...monster garbage truck thing. Alex called it a "Chomper" from the video game. I called it the unholy fusion of Pac-Man with the boxiest of Raichu-colored vans I'd ever seen. One tangle at a construction site later, we decided to drop in on Dr. Chase and Agent Cardwell. Unfortunately, discovering the remote control box was probably not our best move and we made the mistake of putting it in Azzy's NX Go-Kart storage unit. "Whaaaah! I'm being game-jacked!" "That could have been me if Alex had put that in my glove compartment." Turbo Teen exclaimed. "Yeah, but now the enemy has a piece of UCIAT Systems Tech under his control." "We've sure butchered the time line this time, Volt." "Yeah...yeah, we have." "C'mon. Let's go demote this Major Masters guy and put an end to his invasion." "Sneaking onto a military base and causing a bruhah." "You spoil me, best friend." Asriel looked smug. "Let's...not tell your parents about this. Or your school newspaper." "Drat." Fortunately for us, Masters was one to judge a book by its cover and found no use for what he considered the equivalent of a stolen Disneyland Raceway kiddie car. Asriel quickly folded it up and attached it to his backpack harness. After overhearing Major Masters' plan to use Ice Mongers to freeze the White House, Bret got the idea of reprogramming his master computer. Unfortunately we hit a snag letting Alex reprogram it. Three of us ended up getting wrapped up in magnetic computer tape and captured. "Well that sucked." Asriel muttered as he and I watched Bret and the other get taken to the brig. "Let's do a jailbreak. Also...don't even think about repeating this to Violet." A cheesey grin from Goat Son. We peered through the outside window bars as a guard pushed a mop and a bucket of water into the room and instructed their prisoners to get used to hard work. "Psst!" I waved them over after the guard left. "Need a way out?" I offered. "Stand back." Asriel said as he turned to his Hybrid Powers and generated a micro sun. "I guess if you guys are going to be in hot water, we might as well take it literally." He said as he carefully aimed at the bucket and heated up its contents. "I gotcha." Bret saw the opportunity. One bucket of hot water and a transformation into Turbo Teen, later... A break out later and a tussel with said Ice Mongers somehow got us from the base all the way to the Lincoln Monument where our luck took another dive. "Aw man! He froze the NX Kart!" "And Turbo Teen's front end, with it." I watched as Major Masters escaped toward the White House. "I see it but I dont' believe it." Asriel looked at where the front half had changed back to Bret...and the rear half was 100% car. "I'll never get there in time--" "On hand power. Maybe, you just need to let the sun shine in. Right, Asriel?" Asriel snappped his fingers with a cocky Nester pose as a mini sun flared into existence over his fingertip. One defrost later and we were on our way. In what was the most convoluted of "I can't believe I fell for that" moments, Turbo Teen managed to tricked Masters into freezing both his Ice Monger tanks, the enemy tried to turn tail. Alex broke off an icicle from one of the tanks and handed it to me. "Want to do the honors?" "Thought you'd never ask. Azzy?" Asriel had converted his NX JoyCons into a slingshot and took care fo the rest, giving Masters' jeep a flat tire. And with that he surrended unconditionally. With that our adventure came to an end, having re-written history. While Bret, Pattie, Alex, and Bret's pet sheep dog, Rusty were all awarded medals by the President of the U.S. of A., Asriel and I ducked out to make sure we didn't headline any news channels or news papers. "Bummer. I woud have liked to have met Ronnie Reagan." Asriel shrugged. "Another time, Goat Son. This outting was one wild ride." "Yeah. We sure went Turbo, didn't we?" "Too soon, Goat Son. Too soon." I grumbled as we entered the portal. Sub-Entry 248: "The S.T.C. Council Steps in to Declare Miranda City a Crime Scene": Back home again. I think I timed it pretty well with this little sorbet which cleansed the palette. I say this because the timing for the Council could have been a lot worse. I really should have considered Chara arriving here would expose us to S.T.C. When they became aware of him, they confirmed his connection to Adonis and moved to undermine KOMMAND and Daimyou's painstaking behind-the-scenes efforts to keep VGM-098 off the radar and away from both the Council and Adonis. Now with both of them aware of our coordinates, the two of them would have to scramble to well...scramble and re-encrypt our coordinates in the Axis of Reality again. THey'd literally have to move us to another spoke elsewhere in the web of dimensions for us to be safe again. But that would come later. With S.T.C. now AWARE of Adonis' influence...they quickly moved in to declare our dimension a crime scene under their investigation. This...would not bode well. Of course we were all present the moment the freeze team came in and isolated those of us they deemed connected to the event. Technically this SHOULD have included pretty much the whole town. But...they only took a sample of us. All of the UCIAT and various people from around town including Chameleon, Marcel, and others they felt were too close to this incident to be left alone. Everyone else was given the usual memory wipe and anyone with electronic brains had their immediate memories purged. I disapproved and objected upon deaf ears. "Volt Arcade, you are hereby ordered to stand down and prepare your research for immediate update to the Council. Furthermore all involved with the incident involving the Followers of Chaopolis are to submit to immediate scanning, testing, and interrogation." "Hey, we're not the ones on trial for your crap, jackass!" Red protested. "You have the right to remain SILENT! That means SHUT UP!" One of the rookie troopers made the mistake of bashing Red with the butt of his rifle. "You keep real nice company, Sparks." Chameleon sneered. "There's a reason I don't bring my work home with me." I defended. "Much less invite a number of lapdog rent-a-cops to our Christmas Parties." "Cute. Real cute." The Captain poked me in the nose. "Just say the word and I can recruit everyone from the nearby cemetary." "And be rescued by slathering undead zombies?" Chameleon glared. "You STILL don't get the difference between regular undead and ferals?" The both of them were about to get into an argument "Not the time..." Lulu warned. "I'm watching you." The Captain gave Marcel a shove. "Don't try anything funny--" That was when the troops all started dropping. The remainder quickly pointed their guns at Marcel. "Hey, I didn't do anything!" "Give me an excuse!" The Captain growled. "And you...don't even think it. We don't need your kind of scum making things more complicated, merc." He saw Chameleon's sword start to unsheath. I started to notice they were dropping in a pattern. They way they were dropping was almost like they were clearing the way for someone approaching. In fact that was the exact case, whether they knew it or not. And who was the guest of honor? "I was hoping the Doctor's people would dare to set foot in my kingdom." When you mess with Miranda, you of course invite our Queen to take action. "You. Stand down--" "Do you know who you are addressing?" Brooke continued approaching, spreading her wings. "Stand down or--" "Or WHAT, little man?" There was no opportunity to counter that as the Captain found himself rising into the air as he clutched his throat. "I will say this once so your feeble mind can comprehend. I know well enough not to vanquish the messenger, lest my message not be delivered. So I will give you this ultimatum I wish for you to pass on to your superiors. If the Council wishes to bring their business to my doorstep, they will do so in person. They would find it...more unpleasant if I have to go to them. Do we have an understanding?" Gurgles, wheezes, and gasps for air. "I will accept that as a yes. Return forthwith to your place of origin. Then have your masters appear before me. This is non-negotiable." It was about that time we noticed the black flames around the captain and his men. They were intimidating but they would do no harm until our Queen willed it. "I would suggest the sooner the better. You are...on the clock." Brooke glowered in the scary voice as the clocktower struck noon with a forboding set of 12 bells. And the Captain found himself flung into the newly opened portal by an invisible force. "I...cannot apologize enough for--" "Stop. I will hear no attempt of yours to take responsibility for this, Dr. Arcade. This is not on you. This is on them. Your organization was given fair warning. As a citizen of our fair city I will not allow you to martyr yourself for the mistakes of a foolish council. You have proven your loyalty to us far more times than you give credit for." "...yes, m'lady." And so, the Council did make their appearance, all in hooded cloaks and porcelain masks. "This is beyond irregular--" One of them protested. "Do you know who you are dealing with?" Another added. "How dare you drag us into an unknown time, place, and dimension to answer your petty grievances!" "I know your kind, Fiend. You arrogantly place yourself above the will of the many that maintain your timeline--" And the protests and angry accusations kept going until... Brooke spread her wings as the clouds darkened and the lightning flashed...and struck down, leaving blacklight fire towers that boxed in the council as the rest of us were quickly isolated from them and the freee team troopers. "Volt..." "It'll be okay, Azzy." "I find it a curiosity, Chariman. A curiosity that one who has the ability to speak is presumptuous to assume he has intelligence. You cannot even see your own hypocracy. You call me arrogant. I will make no effort to deny it, however I will warn you that there is a world of difference between an arrogant one who cannot back up their words and one who can." The entire Council was immediately levitated by an unknown force, and paralyzed by a blacklight aura with matching black flames engulphing those auras. "What are you doing?!" "Do you not understand what we do is for the good of all!" "Demon! You dare to desicrate this council with your--" "I would not argue with our Queen." I warned. "YOUR Queen?!" "Blasphemy! Your allegiance is to the S.T.C. Organization--" "To an organization that's burned me far more times than I should have ever excused? I don't think so." "TRAITOR!" "I'm the only one who has any chance of stopping Adonis and you all know it." The whole council looked beyond shocked at how I callously name-dropped him. "Yeah. That's right. He's your mess. Monsters are created by other monsters and you all made a doozy." I was riding the line of what I might accidently reveal to Asriel. He knew the name but he didnt' make the connection that he was my old partner. I had...implied that he was no longer alive. But my exact words were "of sound mind and body" when I gave Asriel the bracer. "This world was a crime scene in which a known outsider from another world, willfully aided and abetted the actions of the worst space-time-and-dimension terrorist in history. It needs to be investigated and its people questioned--" "I believe you are out of your jurisdition. And if you'd prefer, we can take up this converstaion in the depths of Gehenna where I'm sure you'll discover just how much clout I actually hold." The flames were burning hotter and threatening to make an example of the Council. Murmurs among the group. "What is it you want." the Councilman glared at Brooke through the mask. "Your investigation may continue as it may. But not on our world. Neither you nor your enemies are welcome here. This is neutral ground. Do not bring your interstellar, intertemporal, inderdimensional war to our city-kingdom. You will not like what happens should you fail to comply." "That's prepostorous! How are we supposed to--!" "I have spoken. Make your choice." The air around the Council became filled with unholy dark swords, animated by an unknown force and all pointed at the Council in the densest of clouds; threatening to pierce at every angle. By now, we all had a clearer idea of Brooke's true power. I could see Asriel actually shuddering and Bunnie sweating. "Your terms, while barbaric...are acceptable." "Wise choice." It was about that time Daimyou made her appearance. "Are you the one that these...things answer to?" "I am." Daimyou's voice was distorted by the vocoder. "I assure you that I do not condone their actions and furthermore I did not authorize this freeze team's deployment to your world. The Council has overstepped their bounds and will be appropriately disciplined to the most extreme of prejudice. You have my word." "Empress Daimyou--" "SILENCE!" Daiymou snapped, hurling the kunai straight at the Councilman's skull...where it stopped an inch away and hovered. "It seems I have no choice in the matter. I cannot trust this Council to act within our organization's goals and mission. Therefore, I am recognizing Dr. Volt Arcade as immediate bureaucratic authority. His reports will go directly to me and he has complete control over the ongoing missions that he is assigned. To put it bluntly...he now has the rank of vice-emperor of Space and Time; my second in command. Any objections?" You know I was enjoying this on some level. I somehow got what I wanted--she was finally the head honcho. "But that is--" "I'm not finished." What came next was a shocker to us all. Sub-Entry 249: "Daimyou's Decree. Asriel Officially Becomes Volt's New Protegee": "Would the one known as Asriel Tobias Dreemurr-Arcade step forward." Hesitation before I nodded to him that it was okay. "I'm Asriel Dreemurr-Arcade." "We have met before." Asriel was keeping the secret as I knew he would. "As of this moment, you are officially recognized as a field agent of S.T.C." The Council completely freaked. "This is an OUTRAGE! He's an unauthorized outsider from a defunct timeline!" "He's an abomination to space and time!" "That creature has NO right to--" "SILENCE!" Daimyou's kunais came even closer at the exact moment Brooke's swords came tightened formation, coming in even closer. "As of this moment I decree his status equal to Dr. Arcade's as well as his access levels upgraded to class A." More gasps. The class above it was class S, which means he had access to almost as much data as me. But not to everything. There was plenty I had to keep from him and not just the obvious. "And finally...he is to be assigned as Volt Arcade's new protogee and partner, indefinitely or until he decides otherwise. Should that be the case he will be released from service without inquiry and no attempt will be made to "burn" him. Not like the last incident...do I make myself clear?" I could see Brooke's cold smile. She found this quite acceptable. But more than that...I suspected she knew. Somehow she knew. "Crystal clear, Daimyou." The Councilman conceded. "If you would be so kind to release them?" Brooke complied. "Should they step out of line again...they will be yours to do as you wish. Do we have an agreement?" Daiymou approached Brooke and extended a hand. "We do." Brooke accepted the handshake. Just...whoah. Daimyou snapped her fingers and one by one each of the Council was swallowed up by a dilation with a scream. "Their journey back to their chambers will be unpleasant. But they will live in their shame. Again. On behalf of the Organization, I offer my sincerest apologies and ask your forgiveness for this...transgression. We shall not interfere in your matters again, Lady Brooke." That was almost a give-away. I'm sure Brooke picked up on it. "Do not concern yourself with the actions of a few. We will simply call this...a temper tantrum diffused. Be along with you, Lady Daimyou and best of luck on your continuing mission." "Thank you." I almost expected an "arigato". But that too would be a give-away. With the last of the freeze troopers off and away, Daimyou made her exit. "W...wow." Asriel blinked. The murmurs among the square eventually dispursed as everyone went on their way. Brooke slid her gaze to Bunnie. "As you wish, m'lady." Bunnie didn't even have to ask. The sake was ready and waiting. "I think I need another vacation." I sighed. "Chin up...partner." Asriel chuckled. "We're official now." I sighed. Then decided to roll with it. "Yeah. We're official." Sub-Entry 250: "Prelude to the Cross-Over Wars. A Warning of Things to Come": While the incident seemed to end there...it wasn't quite the end of it. It wouldn't be long before Daimyou summoned us to her chambers to hit us with another unexpected curveball. "Arcade...and Dreemurr-Arcade. As of this moment, you are the first to be briefed on this." "You have that tone I recognize. This is something serious, isn't it?" "I could never hide things from you." "Tell us. What's wrong?" "Earlier today...the Followers of Chaopolis began another phase of their agenda. And incidents have started to...pile up." "A crime wave?" Asrile scratched his head. "If you want to call it that. But actually...it's worse." Several hololythic screens appeared showing different worlds. But it was what was going on in them that drew my attention. "Wait...that's...!" "Am I seeing double....or...double-ish?" Asriel blinked. "Are these...AU's?" "Yes. But there's a commonality amongst many of them as you can see." "That's...Cybertron...and Cybertron?" I cocked my head. "Both are in a Civil War...but...!" "This isn't right...Autobots fighting Autobots fighting Decepticons fighting Decepticons." Asriel picked up on it. As I looked, sure enough...famliar faces....on both sides. In fact... "How can there be two Bumblebees? I mean...granted one's a BMW Volkswagon and the other is......and why is the Optimus on THAT Cybertron a fire truck? And one Prowl is a police cruiser and the other a motorcycle?" "Are you starting to get the gist of it?" "You're saying...the Followers of Chaopolis incited a riot...between two Cybertron AU's?" "Among other worlds." Then it clicked what this was. "My gods...they're taking a page right out of the Nostalgic Critic's portfolio. This is literally Old vs. New." I noticed how one looked to be squarely 1984 and the other looked like it was in an alternate 2000's, though I couldn't be sure of the decade. "Let's not tell Aunt Vi about this. Or the MIchael Bay jokes will never stop." Asriel tried to joke. "And this is happening across multiple galaxies in the InfinityVerse..." I identified two sets of Planet Arus, four sets of "T.M.N.T." universes, three sets of planet Thundera/Third Earth worlds, and so on and so on... "He's declaring war to tie us up...spread us thin." I realized. "By creating his own corrupted crossovers." He was mocking me. He was mocking my title of King of Crossovers. By ripping it off and turning it into something evil. The other side of the coin. It was the first part of the cliche; where two heroes meet on the battle field...instead of working together, they fight each other. Batman vs. Superman. Captain America vs. Iron Man. Even back in the "Super Mario Bros. Brawl" tournament during the "Sub-Space Emissary", Pit spoke of a moment when he and Mario were teamed up and found themselves at the throats of Link and Yoshi, who had teamed up. All over a misunderstanding involving a shadow copy of Peach...or maybe it was Zelda? Whatever. It was Co-op vs. Competition all over again at a fundamental level. "You mean...to weaken the organization." "It's already on a weak foundation thanks to the Council...but this is going to be like Police Academy 2, 3, and 6 in one big mess. "When you say 3...." Asriel looked at me dubiously. "You think Adonis is pulling a Heath Ledger's Joker?" It was scary how quickly Asriel was synergizing with me as a partner. "If you can't trust people in your own organization..." I grumbled, recalling Mauser's gambit to sabotage Lassard's academy with some planted spies to make sure his own academy didn't end up on the funding chopping block by city council. But also drawing comparisons to how the Joker got to people within Commissioner Gordon's own police department through bribes, blackmail, and threats. It spoke to how susceptable our own organization was to corruption. "And 2 and 6...we're under siege and they're organized despite working for a chaos anarchist?" For Azzy to use that word so casually...it really hit me how much he's grown up and how perceptive he really was. I could no longer think of him as a kid anymore. Furthermore he was applying movie, TV, and other media references as situational clues, guides, advice, and descriptions. "So what do we do?" "We'll be taking cases as they come to us as well as dealing with our own Ultra Crew Institute Action Team work load and your school and daily life. Plus any unexpected curveballs." "Yikes. No pressure." "Yeah...no pressure." We were both understating how deep were were going to be in before this all hit a climax at some point down the road. "I'm entrusting you both to handle this your way and I will be blocking the Council's interventions to prevent..." An awkward pause. "Go ahead and say it. Another Universal City." Asriel could see the pain and regret in my eyes...but he didn't ask. He knew that when I was ready...I'd tell him, myself. "We're really going to have to step up, now. Aren't we?" "Yeah...I never thought it would come to something like this. But...things are getting complicated again. More so than ever." "We'll get through this." "Determination?" "Determination." We all nodded in agreement. "Dismissed." Daimyou bid us farewell for now. "...so...they don't know yet." KOMMAND's voice broke the silence. "They will. As the Goddesses have arranged it." "Lady Destiny is okay with this?" "No. But it's the logical thing to do compared to the alternatives. The one that her sister will have the least retaliation for. The only possible future where we have any chance..." "I so want to make an End Game reference. Just call you Dr. Strange." "Do not." "...alright. For you, old friend. For you." "Let us depart before we are discovered." "Catch ya' on the rebound." "Until we meet again." Chapter 26 Back To Part 3 Back to Project Lost Dreemurr Next